After working for 6 weeks in a large urban jail, Marta, a night shift registered nurse, is told that court monitors will be arriving next week to evaluate health care related to a consent decree. They will be reviewing her documentation on early morning withdrawal rounds. As the days go by, tension is building for the stressful visit. Marta is…
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Primary concerns in substance withdrawal are alcohol and opiates, and rightly so. Withdrawal of these two drugs of abuse can cause serious health concern. Stimulants such as cocaine, methamphetamine, crack, and amphetamines are also popular among the inmate patient population and can cause significant effects when abruptly withdrawn upon incarceration. Fortunately, stimulant withdrawal, while uncomfortable, is rarely life-threatening. A Case…
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Jennifer, an RN at a city jail. is about to go off shift but wants to check on an inmate who was still in booking awaiting a housing assignment. He had come in disheveled and wasn’t making logical connections in conversation. His BAL and FSBS were in normal range. She wanted to know if he as stable or deteriorating. When…
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